Hold Together
by Celandine Brandybuck
Summary: After they've been taken captive by Pug, Edmund is concerned for his sister most of all. Bookverse, VotDT.


For realpestilence, who gave me the bunny.

**Hold Together**

Edmund took a last deep breath of the clean air on the deck before they were led down into the hold of the slaver. He was wet through -- a wave had crashed over the small boat used to bring them to the ship -- but the physical discomfort of prickling salt drying on his skin was nothing compared with his concern for his companions.

Lucy was the one he worried over. Reepicheep would be all right, if Pug's reaction was anything to go by. Probably no owner would believe that the Talking Mouse had a true understanding of what he said, and in any case, Edmund had faith in Reep's ability to escape if he had even the slightest chance at it. Eustace would doubtless irritate any purchaser, but it might do him good, at that, to realise that he had no claim to special treatment, and Edmund felt no more serious a concern for his cousin then he did for himself, not at this time.

No, it was Lucy's plight that most fretted him, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. If she were sold to someone here in the Lone Islands, like the kindly-seeming lord who had bought Caspian, then she might do all right. If a Calormene merchant bought her, though... Edmund shivered. He remembered Calormen, and his impression from talking with Caspian and others on the _Dawn Treader_ was that things had not changed much in the centuries since he had been there. When he had visited the capital city as one of Susan's escorts and companions while she considered the suit of Prince Rabadash, their hosts had been exceedingly polite. That courtesy had extended to the offer of bedmates to any of the Narnians who wished one; either slave girls or slave boys or both. Edmund shuddered at the thought of his little sister facing such a fate.

The hold was full, although not overcrowded with other captives. Edmund was able to find places for them together in the straw, and they whispered in the humid semidarkness.

"I don't know what is best to do," began Edmund grimly. "Drinian will realize that something is wrong soon enough, but he won't have any idea of what has happened, or where to look for us. Now that Caspian's been separated from the rest of us, that makes it worse. Drinian's first duty is to his king, and rightly so, but anything could happen to us meanwhile. We're in a very tight place, I'm afraid, and I don't see that there's anything to be done about it."

"We must hope that we're sold together," said Lucy firmly.

"Agreed, Lu, but hope is not enough." He didn't bring up the point that she was the most vulnerable of them. Lucy was no fool and she knew the possibilities as well as he did. There was no purpose in dwelling on them.

"Apparently there will be an auction," piped up Reepicheep. "We must all listen carefully. I have never seen slaves sold before, of course, but at other auctions I have heard them sometimes announce the name of the buyer, or something about him, if the seller knows who it is. If we are sold separately, we must all listen carefully to learn as much as possible about whomever buys the rest."

"That's a good idea, Reep," Edmund agreed. He nudged Eustace. "Do stop snivelling, Eustace. It's not helpful. Have you any ideas to add?"

He expected nothing of use from Eustace, and that was what he got. Eustace did stop blubbering but he had nothing worthwhile to suggest.

"Let's all hold hands," said Lucy suddenly, "or paws. It will make us feel better."

Edmund ended up holding Eustace's hand and Reepicheep's, with Lucy on the opposite side of their little circle. They stayed like that, talking softly of better times, although Eustace preserved a sulky silence, until the arrival of the evenings food ration broke up their huddle. After they had eaten the stale bread, Edmund moved next to Lucy and put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry, Lu," he said quietly. "I wish there were something I could do. I feel so helpless."

Lucy shrugged. "It isn't your fault. And, if the worst comes and we _are_ separated, I'm certain that somehow Aslan will make it all come right in the end."

Edmund couldn't quite share Lucy's confidence, but she'd always been right before when it came to Aslan, and he hoped the same would be true again. He squeezed her shoulder, and eventually felt himself able to put aside all his worries for the moment and fall asleep. Tomorrow they would take the adventure that came to them.


End file.
